Obstructive Sleep Apnea Hypopnea
DSM-5 Diagnostic Criteria A'''. Either (1) or (2): # Evidence by polysomnography of at least five obstructive apneas or hypopneas per hour of sleep and either of the following sleep symptoms: #* '''a. Nocturnal breathing disturbances: snoring, snorting/gasping, or breathing pauses during sleep. #* b'. Daytime sleepiness, fatigue, or unrefreshing sleep despite sufficient opportunities to sleep that is not better explained by another mental disorder (including a sleep disorder) and is not attributable to another medical condition. # Evidence by polysomnography of 15 or more obstructive apneas and/or hypopneas per hour of sleep regardless of accompanying symptoms. ''Specify current severity: * '''Mild: Anpea hypopnea index is less than 15. * Moderate: Apnea hypopnea index is 15-30. * Severe: Apnea hypopnea index is greater than 30. Specifiers Disease severity is measured by a count of the number of apneas plus hypopneas per hour of sleep (apnea hypopnea index) using polysomnography or other overnight monitoring. Overall severity is also informed by levels of nocturnal desaturation and sleep fragmentation (measured by brain cortical arousal frequency and sleep stages) and degree of associated symptoms and daytime impairment. However, the exact number and thresholds may vary according to the specific measurement techniques used, and these numbers may change over time. Regardless of the apnea hypopnea index (count) per se, the disorder is considered to be more severe when apneas and hypopneas are accompanied by significant oxygen hemoglobin desaturation (e.g., when more than 10% of the sleep time is spent at desaturation levels of less than 90%) or when sleep is severely fragmented as shown by an elevated arousal index (arousal index greater than 30) or reduced stages in deep sleep (e.g., percentage stage N3 sleep less than 5%). Differential Diagnosis Primary snoring and other sleep disorders Individuals with obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea must be differentiated from individuals with primary snoring (ie., otherwise asymptomatic individuals who snore and do not have abnormalities on overnight polysomnography). Individuals with obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea may additionally report nocturnal gasping and choking. The presence of sleepiness or other daytime symptoms not explained by other etiologies suggests the diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea, but this differentiation requires polysomnography. Definitive differential diagnosis between hypersomnia, central sleep apnea, sleep-related hypoventilation, and onstructive sleep apnea hypopnea also requires polysomnographic studies. Obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea must be differentiated from other causes of sleepiness, such as narcolepsy, hypersomnia, and circadian rhythm sleep disorders. Obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea can be differentiated from narcolepsy by the absence of cataplexy, sleep-related hallucinations, and sleep paralysis and by the presence of loud snoring, gasping during sleep, or observed apneas in sleep. Daytime sleep episodes in narcolepsy are characteristically shorter, more refreshing, and more often associated with dreaming. Obstrucitve sleep apnea hypopnea shows characteristic apneas and hypopneas and oxygen desaturation during nocturnal polysomnographic studies. Narcolepsy results in multiple sleep-onset rapid eye movement (REM) periods during the MSLT. Narcolepsy, like obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea, may be associated with obesity, and some individuals have concurrent narcolepsy and obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea. A diagnosis of narcolepsy does not exlclude the diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea, as the two conditions may co-occur. Insomnia disorder For individuals complaining of difficulty initiating or maintaining sleep or early-morning awakenings, insomnia disorder can be differentiated from obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea by the absence of snoring and the absence of the history, signs, and symptoms characteristic of the latter disorder. However, insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea may coexist, and if so, both disorders may need to be addressed concurrently to improve sleep. Panic attacks Nocturnal panic attacks may include symptoms of gasping or choking during sleep that may be difficult to distinguish clinically from obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea. However, the lower frequency of episodes, intense autonomic arousal, and lack of excessive sleepiness differentiate nocturnal panic attacks from obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea. Polysomnography in individuals with nocturnal panic attacks does not reveal the typical pattern of apneas or oxygen desaturation characteristic of obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea. Individuals with obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea do not provide a history of daytime panic attacks. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in children may include symptoms of inattention, academic impairment, hyperactivity, and internalizing behaviors, all of which may also be symptoms of childhood obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea. The presence of other symptoms and signs of childhood obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea (e.g., labored breathing or snoring during sleep and adenotonsillar hypertrophy) would suggest the presence of obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea. Obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder may commonly co-occur, and there may be casual links between them; therefore, risk factors such as enlarged tonsils, obesity, or a family history of sleep apnea may help alert the clinician to their co-occurrence. Substance/medication-induced insomnia or hypersomnia Substance use and substance withdrawal (including medications) can produce insomnia or hypersomnia. A careful history is usually sufficient to identify the relevant substance/medication, and follow-up shows improvement of the sleep disturbance after discontinuation of the substance/medication. In other cases, the use of a substance/medication (e.g., alcohol, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, tobacco) has been shown to exacerbate obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea. An individual with symptoms and signs consistent with obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea should receive that diagnosis, even in the presence of concurrent substance use that is exacerbating the condition.